Offshore Wind Turbine Mounting With Buoyancy-Supported Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for offshore wind turbine installation are time-consuming, complex, and costly due to the use of jack-up vessels, which require extensive lifting and securing processes, especially when placing the nacelle on the tower, and often necessitate heavy lifting cranes.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using floating vessels exclusively supported by buoyancy to perform key installation steps such as mounting the foundation, tower, and nacelle, utilizing gripper tools and slip-joint interfaces to facilitate faster and simpler installation, reducing the need for jack-up legs and heavy lifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If jack-up vessels are used for mounting foundation, tower, and nacelle, then the installation can be performed with stable support, but the installation time increases and costs increase due to extensive lifting and securing processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the installation process into distinct phases performed by different floating vessels: a first floating vessel performs foundation mounting, a second floating vessel performs tower mounting, and a third floating vessel performs nacelle mounting. This segmentation allows parallel processing and eliminates the need for a single jack-up vessel to perform all operations sequentially, thereby reducing total installation time while maintaining stability through dedicated vessels for each task.
2Ease of operation
If jack-up vessels with heavy lifting cranes are used, then the nacelle can be placed on the tower, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized gripper tool as an intermediary device that enables direct manipulation and placement of the nacelle onto the tower without requiring heavy lifting cranes. The gripper tool, combined with the slip-joint interface, provides a simplified mechanism for nacelle installation, reducing the complexity and cost of the crane system while maintaining the ease of operation for placing the nacelle.
3Reliability
If conventional mounting methods are used, then the foundation and tower can be securely installed, but the installation process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic floating vessels that can move and position themselves precisely during the installation process, replacing static jack-up vessels. The floating vessels provide stable support through buoyancy control and dynamic positioning systems, enabling secure foundation and tower mounting without the complex leg extension and retraction mechanisms of jack-up vessels, thereby reducing overall installation process complexity.
4Ease of operation
If jack-up vessels are used for all mounting steps, then comprehensive support is provided, but the installation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple floating vessels that can perform multiple functions across different installation steps. Each floating vessel is designed to provide comprehensive support for its specific mounting task (foundation, tower, or nacelle), but the overall system achieves universality by coordinating these specialized vessels to complete the entire installation process, replacing the need for a single expensive jack-up vessel to perform all functions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces installation time, lowers costs, optimizes scheduling, and minimizes the risk of errors by utilizing dedicated floating vessels and gripper tools, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective offshore wind turbine assembly.
Implementation Method 1
by use of at least one floating vessel which is exclusively supported by buoyancy when performing the at least one of the steps a) through c)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~5
AI summary
It is described a method of offshore mounting a wind turbine (1), the wind turbine (1) comprising a foundation (2), a tower (3), a nacelle (4) and a plurality of blades (5). The method comprising steps of: a) mounting the foundation (2) on a sea ground (S); b) mounting the tower (3) to the foundation (2); c) mounting the nacelle (4) to the tower (3); and d) mounting the plurality of blades (5) to the nacelle (4). At least one of the steps a) through c) is performed by use of at least one floating vessel (6) which is exclusively supported by buoyancy when performing the at least one of the steps a) through c).